Install Homebrew on M1 Mac

This guide covers the proper installation of Homebrew on Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Macs, addressing common PATH configuration issues that differ from Intel-based Macs.

The Core Problem

On Apple Silicon Macs, Homebrew installs to /opt/homebrew/bin instead of the traditional /usr/local/bin used on Intel Macs. If your shell doesn't include this path, Homebrew commands won't be recognized even after successful installation.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Install Homebrew

Open Terminal and run the official installation command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Follow the on-screen prompts. The installation may take several minutes.

Step 2: Configure Your PATH

After installation, Homebrew will display instructions similar to:

==> Next steps:
Run these two commands in your terminal to add Homebrew to your PATH:
    echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile
    eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Option 1: Recommended Method

# Add to ~/.zprofile (runs at login)
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zprofile

# Apply changes immediately
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Option 2: Alternative Method

# Add to ~/.zshrc (runs for every shell)
echo 'export PATH=/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.zshrc

# Apply changes immediately
source ~/.zshrc

TIP

The recommended method using brew shellenv is preferred as it sets all necessary environment variables, not just the PATH.

Step 3: Verify Installation

Test that Homebrew is working correctly:

brew --version
brew help

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Command Line Tools Issues

If you encounter architecture errors mentioning x86_64 vs arm64e, you may need to reinstall Command Line Tools:

# Remove existing tools
sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools

# Reinstall properly
xcode-select --install

File Doesn't Exist Errors

If you get errors about .zprofile or .zshrc not existing:

# Create the file if it doesn't exist
touch ~/.zprofile

Understanding the Difference

PATH Configuration Files

• ~/.zprofile: Executed at login (recommended for Homebrew)
• ~/.zshrc: Executed for each new shell session

Apple Silicon Macs use the /opt/homebrew prefix instead of /usr/local, requiring this path adjustment.

Verifying Successful Installation

After completing these steps, you should be able to:

• Run brew install [package] without errors
• See Homebrew version information with brew --version
• Access brew help with brew help

The installation is complete when Homebrew commands execute without "command not found" errors.